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The Lesson Planning Mommy – Fun With Frogs

September 10, 2012

Rib-bit, Rib-bit! It’s frog week! Learn a few silly songs, make some adorable crafts, and learn lots of great fun frog facts with the Lesson Planning Mommy!

Amphibian means two-lives. Frogs begin their lives in the water as eggs and then tadpoles, and when they are fully developed, they live on land.

They lay their eggs in water.

Frogs are cold-blooded, which means that their bodies are the same temperature as the air or water around them.

Frogs are found all over the world, and in every climate, except Antarctica.

Tadpoles look more like fish than frogs; they have longs and finned tails, and they breathe through gills.

Instead of drinking water, frogs soak it into their body through their skin.

Frogs use their sticky, muscular tongue to catch and swallow food. Unlike humans, their tongue is not attached to the back of its mouth. Instead it is attached to the front, enabling the frog to stick its tongue out much further.

Frogs can see forward, sideways, and upward all at the same time. They never close their eyes, even when they sleep.

Remarkably, frogs actually use their eyes to help them swallow food. When frogs blink, their eyeballs are pushed downward, creating a bulge in the roof of their mouths. This bulge squeezes the food inside the frog’s mouth and down the back of its throat.

Songs:

The Bullfrog Song

The bullfrog sang the strangest song, he sang it night and day.

Ker-runk, ker-runk, ker-runk, ker-runk, ker-runk, was all it seemed to say.

With just a few supplies, children can transform regular stones into animals, people, or toys.

What You Need:

Paint

Glue

Rocks

Both tempera and acrylic paints work well for rock craft projects; tempera looks chalkier, but washes off easily, making it the best choice for kids. Acrylic paint has a glossy finish. Before painting, kids should sketch out their plan; it’s easier to envision what the finished project will look like if they draw it on paper first.

Make A Frog!

What You Need:

White paper plate

1 party favor

Lime green & red construction paper

Green marker or paint

2 medium-sized googly eyes

Scissors

Glue Stick

Directions:

Use scissors to create 2 eyes for the frog

Paint or color the plate green

Cut circle eyes and a mouth out of the lime green construction paper

Cut lips out of the red construction paper

After the paint or marker dries on the plate, glue the eyes and mouth onto the paper plate

Glue the googly eyes on top of the lime green circle eyes, and make a slit with the scissors in the center of the red lips

Pop the party favor in the slot and catch some flies!

Play Leap Frog

Have your children all line up and squat down. You can then have them play the classic game of leap from while yelling, “Leap!”

Snack: Make a Frog

What You Need:

1 green apple (for body)

3 green grapes, halved (for legs

2 baby marshmallows (for eyes)

2 chocolate chips (for pupils)

Mom-Me Outing:

This is one of my little guy’s favorite times of the year! Where we live, there are THOUSANDS of little itty-bitty baby frogs! We’ve lived in the GLBR for almost three years, and he’s still amazed with all the little frogs!

Now is a great time to visit local parks and gardens. If you’re lucky, you will be able to show your kids the life cycle of a frog. You could even check out your favorite pet store to visually explain the different stages of a frog’s life.